Buck & Co Jewellers,

January marks the beginning of a new year, and brings with it a new birthstone which is the glorious garnet!

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Garnets have been used in jewellery since antiquity, from the amulets and pectorals buried with the pharaohs in ancient Egypt to the garnet seal rings which were popular during the Roman period. The name garnet is taken from the Latin 'granatus' meaning pomegranate, as the garnet crystals in some of their natural forms can be seen to resemble pomegranate seeds. The Anglo Saxons often used garnets in their spectacular pieces of cloisonne work, famous examples of which were discovered during excavations at the Sutton Hoo burial site from 1938 onwards.

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The name garnet also reflects the beautiful red colour of several of the garnet varieties such as almandine and pyrope, and may be linked to the 14th century word 'gernet', meaning dark red. However, garnets also occur in vivid green (demantoid, tsavorite and uvarovite) and orange (spessartine). With their bright vitreous lustre (the way in which light reflects from the surface of the stone) and their ability to disperse light and display rich and saturated colours, they are also an eye catching and engaging gemstone choice.

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Garnets are a good choice for jewellery as they are stable gemstones and do not cleave. The green demantoid garnet is the most brittle and least hard however, so care should be taken with this stone, but in general most garnets are suitable for use in jewellery such as pendants, earrings and brooches. Contact with harder gems such as diamonds, sapphires and rubies should be avoided, and care is needed around heat sources as garnets can suffer from thermal stress.

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The symbolism of the garnet is very much based around its red colour, and is linked to blood and the heart; with the ability to inspire the heart to deeds of great bravery, or to improve the circulation or prevent hemorrhage. During the crusades, both the Muslim and Christian warriors wore garnets to protect themselves, and bring damage to their enemies. In the Middle ages in Europe garnets were linked with the blood of Christ and often used in ecclesiastical regalia. Another theme common to the garnet is that of its ability to provide light in the darkness, so the Vikings were buried with this gemstone to light the journey of their souls to Valhalla.

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